A Road Trip Through the Parks of Southwestern Colorado

Many great travel itineraries begin with a simple idea. A particularly cheap air fare, a tip from a friend or a promotional offer at a hotel or resort can all grow into a full fledged road trip. The following itinerary began with a deal for one night at a Bed and Breakfast emailed to me by Living Social, the website and iPhone application that provides users with a steady stream of low cost travel deals. After looking at a map of Southwest Colorado I found that the B&B in question, Black Bear Manor in Ouray, Colorado, lies in close proximity to three national parks that I am interested in visiting.

Altogether this Colorado road trip covers 800 miles of mountainous and desert terrain. It juxtaposes a luxurious night perched in a mountain resort with a night in the desert home of America's original inhabitants. It pairs scenic drives with hiking and climbing under the summer sun. It's essential Colorado in three short days. With an $80 interagency National Park Pass, one night of camping and a few picnic lunches the entire cost of this three day trip is less than $350.

Day One

From the Denver metro area, route 50 west crosses the Continental Divide and descends into the Gunnison River Valley. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is one of Colorado's most dramatic landforms and best kept secrets. The canyon formed by the Gunnison River is so narrow and steep that it is usually bathed in shadows. The park is a convenient stop for a picnic lunch before heading into Ouray for the evening. The south rim drive has numerous turnouts and scenic overlooks that are ideal for picture taking and a stop for lunch.

From Black Canyon, the drive to the town of Ouray is 85 miles. Ouray is a small town of 1000 people established by gold and silver miners. It gets its name, the Switzerland of America, from its incredible geography. Ouray arrayed along the Uncompahgre River and is surrounded on three sides by mountains. The small town is so sheltered and isolated that is served as the inspiration for Galt's Gulch, the mountain hideaway of the striking industrialists in Ayn Rand's novel, Atlas Shrugged. Popular activities in Ouray include hiking and, in winter, ice climbing. You can also rent a jeep from a number of agencies in town to go offroading.

Black Bear Manor has a 3:00 check in time and complimentary wine and beer service between 4:00 and 6:00. The B&B is a three storey wooden structure with a third floor "observatory" that offers a magnificent view of the town. Part of my Living Social "Escape" package is a welcome basket of wine and chocolate truffles, which is a nice touch that can be arranged for extra charge. For dinner there are a dozen good restaurants in Ouray. Black Bear Manor recommends the Outlaw, a steakhouse on Main Street. Ouray has a number of other cafes, American and Mexican restaurants and a brewery. After a good night's sleep in the mountain air (at 7800 feet Black Bear Manor does not require air conditioning), you can wake up to a gourmet breakfast and the inn's specially brewed coffee. Black Bear can also arrange for a brown bag lunch if you want to get out early.

Day Two

After an early breakfast, the journey continues south along route 550. The stretch of road between Silverton and Ouray is know as the Million Dollar Highway and was ranked by Sherman's Travel as one of the top scenic drives in the United States. Filled with hair pin turns (without guard rails) and mountain vistas, it is both exhilarating and terrifying. After turning west at Durango, the road leads another 50 miles to Mesa Verde National Park.

Mesa Verde, located in the extreme southwest of Colorado near the Four Corners, is famous for the cliff homes and communities built by the Anasazi Indians. These complex dwellings can only be visited by guided tour. These hikes can be arduous, with long uphill treks and ladder climbing. Morefield campground, located near the entrance to the park, has an array of individual campsites, a grocery store and a cafe that serves a pancake breakfast buffet each morning. Another highlight to camping at Mesa Verde is the nighttime activities hosted by the park. Each night at 9:00 a park ranger gives a fireside talk about some aspect of Anasazi life or the geography of the park. Mesa Verde also has twilight hikes of the cliff dwellings led by park rangers who assume the personae of various historic figures of Colorado's past.

Day Three

After sleeping out under the stars, you can wake at dawn and go on one more hike before getting in the car to head back east. Since the drive to Denver is about eight hours in total, a great way to break up the trip is a stop at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The Sand Dunes, which are nestled in a crook of the Sangre di Cristo Mountains, are 600-800 feet tall. Under the right conditions visitors can go sand boarding down the slopes. Hiking up the massive heaps of sand, making sand castles or cooling off in the nearby creek are all fun activities in this desert landscape that looks more like the Sahara than Colorado.